The Shetland Reel

• The Shetland Reel style is most easily recognized by its speed. Shetland Reels are usually played fast. They are also characterized by small triplets called shivers and by the droning of open strings. Shetland Reels are divided into 4-bar sections and are often used for the dancing of the 16-bar Shetland Reel. Shetland regional fiddle music also has its share of waltzes and slow airs. These tunes require a rich tone and vibrato with double stops and slides.
  
  

Mainland Scottish Fiddling

• Mainland Scottish fiddling has slower reels, more jigs and an unpredictable snap rhythm that sets it apart from other Scottish fiddling styles. The right hand provides most of the unique ornamentation for this style. One of the most famous Mainland Scottish fiddle tunes is called "MacPherson's Rant." This song, like many Scottish Mainland fiddle tunes, is interwoven with history and based on an old Scottish story.
  
  

The West Coast Style

• The West Coast Style of Scottish fiddling gets the majority of its influence from the pipes. This style uses a flattened seventh note that is similar to the scale on a bagpipe. The "birl" also distinguishes this style and is played as two semiquavers, a quaver and two demisemiquavers followed by a dotted a quaver. A quaver is a note found in sheet music. The "birl" is played near the tip of the bow with a quick flick of the wrist. The West Coast Style of Scottish fiddle has marches, jigs and slow airs based on old Gaelic tunes.
  
  

The North East Style

• The North East Style of Scottish fiddling is a more elegant and slow style. This fiddling style combines the styles of country fiddling and classical violin. It was developed by Scottish violinist James Scott Skinner, who began as a traditional fiddler, then received a classical music education. He then went on to be a composer. His goal was to clean up Scottish fiddling from what he thought was an excessive use of ornamentation. More than 600 of his compositions are still played regularly by fiddlers all over the world.